August 30, 1998

Life and After Life

By ROSMARY RANCK

GET THE PICTURE
A Personal History of Photojournalism. By John G. Morris.
Random House, $30

uring his long and eventful career, John G. Morris operated at the heart of 20th-century photojournalism, working as a picture editor for Life, Magnum, The Washington Post, The New York Times and National Geographic. In the late 1940's, The Ladies' Home Journal, a less obvious member of that fraternity, gave him a base from which to hire photographers like Robert Capa, Martin Muncacsi and Lisette Model. In 1948 he ran a series, ''People Are People the World Over,'' photographed largely by Magnum photographers, which inspired Edward Steichen's renowned ''Family of Man'' exhibition. Morris begins his memoir, ''Get the Picture: A Personal History of Photojournalism,'' not with his childhood but with his path to Life magazine. Before he ends his story in Paris, where he moved in 1983, he weaves several photographers, anecdotes, players, history and a credo or two into an engaging and informative tale. Not surprisingly, this veteran of photojournalism's glory days sees a decline in recent years, not in the committed, courageous and excellent photography still produced, but in editors and publishers who pander to focus groups and celebrity mania and do not provide outlets for photo reportage. Morris, an unapologetic humanist, believes in the persuasive power of images and discusses in some detail his efforts over the years to strengthen the role of photography in journalism. Despite his losses -- wives, friends, employment -- and the many frustrations of an often thankless and unheralded job, the 81-year-old Morris is an optimistic and amusing raconteur.